National High Five Day

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Gimme a high five. As a matter of fact, give everyone you see a High Five!

The "High Five" is a celebratory slapping of hands atop raised arms. It's been a standard for celebration of sporting victories, special event, competitions and many other activities for decades.

It's fun , and easy to celebrate this special day. Give a High Five to everyone you see. This includes friends, family, passersby, and total strangers. The more high fives you give, the better.

BTW: It's okay to give a "Low Five" today. But, only after you've given the "High Five".

Origin of "National High Five Day":
The creation of this special day dates back to 2002. It was created by college students at the University of Virginia. Those students were Conor Lastowka from San Diego, California, Sam Miotke of Corvallis, Oregon, and Wynn Walent of New York City. They celebrated with lemonade and a profusion of High Fives.

The act of giving a "High Five", dates back to 1977, when it was first used during a Basketball game. Their congratulatory gesture caught on rapidly, and has been popular ever since.

This is referred to as a "National" day. However, we did not find any congressional records or presidential proclamations for this day.

This Day in History April 18

The cornerstone of the current St. Peter's Basilica is laid. (1506)

Trial of Martin Luther begins its second day during the assembly of the Diet of Worms. He refuses to recant his teachings despite the risk of excommunication. (1521)

Bostonians rise up in rebellion against Sir Edmund Andros. (1689)

American Revolution: The British advancement by sea begins; Paul Revere and other riders warn the countryside of the troop movements. (1775)

The University of Alabama is founded. (1831)

American victory at the battle of Cerro Gordo opens the way for invasion of Mexico. (1848)

Billy the Kid escapes from the Lincoln County jail in Mesilla, New Mexico. (1881)

An earthquake and fire destroy much of San Francisco, California. (1906)

The Cunard liner RMS Carpathia brings 705 survivors from the RMS Titanic to New York City. (1912)

Yankee Stadium, "The House that Ruth Built", opens. (1923)

Simon & Schuster publishes the first crossword puzzle book. (1924)

BBC Radio announces that there is no news on that day. (1930)

The first Champions Day is celebrated in Detroit, Michigan. (1936)

The Doolittle Raid on Japan. Tokyo, Yokohama, Kobe and Nagoya are bombed. (1942)

Operation Vengeance, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto is killed when his aircraft is shot down by U.S. fighters over Bougainville Island. (1943)

The keel for the aircraft carrier USS United States is laid down at Newport News Drydock and Shipbuilding. However, construction is canceled five days later, resulting in the Revolt of the Admirals (1949)

A United States federal court rules that poet Ezra Pound be released from an insane asylum. (1958)

The longest professional baseball game is begun in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The game is suspended at 4:00 the next morning and finally completed on June 23. (1981)

A suicide bomber destroys the United States embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, killing 63 people. (1983)

The United States launches Operation Praying Mantis against Iranian naval forces in the largest naval battle since World War II. (1988)

In Lebanon, at least 106 civilians are killed when the Israel Defense Forces shell the United Nations compound at Quana where more than 800 civilians had taken refuge. (1996)

The Supreme Court of the United States upholds the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act in a 5-4 decision. (2007)